Flexible pickup lips for use with fixed vacuum shoes on self-contained and propelled carpet cleaning equipment

ABSTRACT

An improved vacuum shoe for use on a self-propelled cleaning apparatus is disclosed. Specifically, the vacuum shoe may have a gliding member either integral or connected to the shoe housing. The gliding member is designed to decrease the drag coefficient of the vacuum shoe as it traverses a surface thereby increasing the machine&#39;s efficiency and decreasing the amount of required operating power.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention is directed toward self-contained and propelledcleaning equipment and devices, and focuses upon a vacuum shoe and/orshoe attachment is provided that improves the cleaning ability andoverall functionality of the cleaning machine.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Cleaning machines are used extensively for cleaning flooring surfacescomprised of carpets and other soft floor surfaces. Maintaining thecleanliness of these surfaces, especially in high-volume areas, incommercial, industrial, institutional, and public buildings is anon-going and time consuming process. There are several differentmechanisms that can be employed to clean such surfaces.

One such example would be self-propelled walk-behind devices, i.e.,vacuums or self-cleaning carpet machines. These apparatus typically havea scrub deck followed by a vacuum shoe. The vacuum shoe has the abilityto follow the path of the scrub deck as the machine changes direction.This type of equipment is generally more efficient in cleaning largesurface areas than conventional hand-cleaning techniques. Also,walk-behind machines can be equipped with relatively wide vacuumpickups. These characteristics limit the machines ability to maneuverand further limit the doorway that the machine can pass through. Typicalthree-foot doorways allow a machine with no more than a 33″ squeegee orvacuum shoe to fit through without removal.

Another example would be self-propelled ride-on cleaning devices. Suchdevices are generally well-known in the field and are employed to treatlarge floor surfaces, such carpeted floors found in hospitals,department stores, schools, gyms, etc. These devices generally providethe operator with seating from which he/she can control operation of thedevice. These devices are ideal for cleaning large open areas becausethey are capable of containing large amounts of cleaning and wastefluids and/or debris without having to repeatedly perform time-consumingfluid replacement or removal. Moreover, because these devices providethe user with seating, the user does not become prematurely fatigued,increasing overall worker productivity.

Unfortunately, these previously mentioned types of cleaning devices havedrawbacks. For example, they are not as efficient as possible. The dragcreated by the vacuum shoe is often excessive, mainly due to the weightof the machine, the amount of pressure required to maintain a vacuumseal to the floor, and drag characteristics of the componentry thatactually contacts the surface to be cleaned. Additionally, typicalvacuum shoes tend to vibrate at higher cleaning speeds. This additionalvibration may lead to more mechanical failures through the life of themachine. Heavy equipment, such as ride-on cleaners, also tend to rollthe carpet forward during cleaning, which is undesirable because if thecarpet is pushed in the same direction a number of times and rolledforward in that same direction, the carpet in that area may becomeirreversibly ruined.

An example of a prior-art vacuum shoe used on a walk-behind or ride-oncleaning machine can be seen with reference to FIG. 1. The vacuum shoe100 comprises a shoe housing 102, a vacuum chamber 104, an opening tothe vacuum chamber 106, and a hose 108. The hose is fluidicallyconnected to the vacuum chamber and a preferably air-tight seal ismaintained between the shoe housing 102 and the hose 108. Negativepressure is applied, for example, by a vacuum motor connected at theopposite end of hose 108, thereby creating a vacuum pressure within thevacuum chamber 104, creating suction at the opening 106 of the vacuumshoe 100. The suction enables dirt, water and other debris to be liftedup off of the surface. A major drawback to the vacuum shoe design shownin FIG. 1, however, is that the housing 102 intersects the floor surfaceabruptly, and typically is made with a material that is not specificallydesigned to effortlessly glide over wet carpeting, etc. Thus, as thevacuum shoe 100 is moved forward and backwards in the direction of thedepicted arrows 109, excessive drag forces are created on the vacuumshoe 100, resulting in undesired efficiency losses. These efficiencylosses contribute to both slower overall cleaning of a surface, as wellas, increased power usage by the cleaning machine.

Additionally, when vacuum shoes 100 of the prior art are used, thevacuum shoe opening 106 has to be large enough to mitigate clogging ofthe vacuum inlet. If the vacuum shoe is too small, then the chance ofhaving particles become trapped in the vacuum shoe opening 106 increase.As the vacuum shoe opening 106 becomes larger, more vacuum pressure isrequired to create enough suction to lift debris from the surface to becleaned. If more suction is required, then a larger vacuum motor may berequired, which further increases the weight of the cleaning machine.Indeed, more power will also be required to operate the cleaning machineeffectively. Moreover, in the event that a smaller vacuum motor is usedin an attempt to keep the cleaning machine weight at a reasonable level,there is a chance that the vacuum motor may not be capable of supplyingthe required suction for adequate pickup.

There have been attempts to remedy some of these and related problemsassociated with hand-held cleaning wands. For example, TurboTeck hasintroduced a superlips glide and superglide wand glides that decreasethe amount of force required for an operator to move the wand over asurface. Although used in hand-held wands and other hand-held cleaningdevices, the inventions claimed in this invention have not been adaptedfor use in ride-on or walk-behind self-propelled cleaning machines.Indeed, glide technology was developed for use with hand-held wands inan attempt to relieve the back pains associated with operating ahand-held wand. The challenges associated with implementing a glidingattachment onto a self-propelled or ride-on cleaner are much differentthan those associated with attaching a glide onto hand-held cleaningwand. For example, the weight of a ride-on cleaner and its cleaningpower is much more substantial than a hand-held cleaning wand.

The extra weight and power of a ride-on cleaner creates manycomplicating issues. For example, typical vacuum shoes have abrupt edgesthat can damage floor transitions (i.e., a transition from one type ofcarpet to another) and the additional weight of the ride-on cleanercauses these transitions to be damaged over time. Furthermore, whentypical vacuum shoes get caught on these transitions, the forces appliedto the machine may cause further damage to other machine parts.Moreover, access to a vacuum shoe is much more difficult than with ahand-held cleaning wand making cleaning and maintenance a difficulttask.

SUMMARY

It is desired to have self-propelled cleaning machines that have anincreased efficiency of suction, which results in quicker drying times,increased battery life, decreased wear on a surface to be cleaned, allof which result in improved productivity and efficiency. It is thus oneaspect of the present invention to provide a self-propelled cleaningapparatus comprising a vacuum shoe that is more efficient and easier toclean than prior used vacuum shoes. A self-propelled cleaning apparatushaving a more efficient vacuum shoe provides for several advantages.

One such advantage that may be provided by an apparatus with anefficiently gliding vacuum shoe is decreased amount of required powerneeded to propel the equipment, thus resulting in increased run time forsome cleaning machines. A decrease in required power consumption mayalso result in the use of a smaller battery or power source on thecleaning machine, which in turn may result in the use of a lighterbattery, more efficient propulsion systems, etc. A lighter batterytranslates to a lighter cleaning machine, which corresponds to decreasedwear on a surface to be cleaned. Economic efficiencies in overallmachine production costs may also be realized.

Another advantage that may be offered by embodiments of the presentinvention is decreased drying times may be realized. The suction rate ofan efficient vacuum shoe is greater than the suction rate afforded byvacuum shoes used in the prior art. With an increased suction rate,quicker drying times result because more debris and water may be pickedup with a single pass of the vacuum shoe than would have otherwise beenpicked up with machines of the prior art. The result is quicker cleaningtimes, because fewer passes with the cleaning machine is required. Thebottom line is that after a cleaning apparatus employing the vacuum shoeof the present invention has cleaned an area, one does not have to waitfor an extraordinarily long amount of time before the surface can bewalked on again.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a selectivelyattachable gliding surface that may be fastened to a prior art vacuumshoe. An easily detachable and re-attachable gliding member provide foreasy access to clear blockages from the main vacuum shoe since thegliding member may be easily removed. Moreover, smaller slots increasethe suction forces at the surface without requiring more suction power.Additionally, the gliding surface helps to reduce the impact forcesapplied to the vacuum shoe by transitions in the floor surface, which inturn helps to decrease the amount of maintenance required for the vacuumshoe and the cleaning apparatus. The gliding member may be easily andrelatively cheaply replaced by a new gliding member after it has beenworn out by use, whereas a vacuum shoe is expensive and sometimesdifficult to replace after it has been worn out.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a cleaningapparatus is provided. The cleaning apparatus comprises a vacuum shoecomprising a shoe housing have a proximal end a distal end with a vacuumchamber there between. The proximal end is defined by an opening that isadapted interface with a gliding member. The distal end is adapted tointerface with a hose and/or vacuum source on the cleaning apparatus.The gliding member comprises a surface that easily glides across asurface to be cleaned. For example, the gliding surface intersects thesurface to be cleaned at an angle that has a decreased drag coefficientcompared to vacuum shoes of the prior art. An angle of intersectiontypically is defined by the angle between the intersecting surface andthe surface to be cleaned. Suitable angles of intersection include, butare not limited to, between about 2° and about 80°. The shallower theangle of intersection the more easily the vacuum shoe can traverse thesurface to be cleaned. Additionally, the outer surface of the glidingmember extends from the intersection point outwardly (in a generaldirection of travel) such that the incident angle between the outersurface and the surface to be cleaned increases such that the chances ofintersecting the surface to be cleaned with an abrupt surface isdecreased. Further, the gliding member is preferably made of a materialthat moves over a surface to be cleaned much more efficiently andeffectively than materials used on prior art vacuum shoes. Examples ofsuitable materials include, but are not limited to, Delrin®, Teflon®,and other materials having a low coefficient of friction.

In accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention, agliding member 110 may be configured to apply a solution or fluid to asurface just prior to the surface being vacuumed. When fluid is appliedby the gliding member 110, the fluid does not have as much time topenetrate the surface to be cleaned. However, enough fluid is applied bythe gliding member 110 such that any debris, or other cleaning solutionin the surface, can be released and picked up by the suction of thevacuum.

These and other advantages will be apparent from the disclosure of theinvention(s) contained herein. The above-described embodiments andconfigurations are neither complete nor exhaustive. As will beappreciated, other embodiments of the invention are possible using,alone or in combination, one or more of the features set forth above ordescribed in detail below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a vacuum shoe in accordance withembodiments of the prior art;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of one configuration of a vacuum shoeequipped with a gliding member in accordance with embodiments of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of another configuration of a vacuumshoe equipped with a gliding member in accordance with embodiments ofthe present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of another configuration of a vacuumshoe equipped with a gliding member in accordance with embodiments ofthe present invention;

FIG. 5 depicts a floor cleaning apparatus employing an improved vacuumshoe in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 6 depicts a selectively attachable and detachable gliding memberalong with a vacuum shoe in accordance with embodiments of the presentinvention;

FIG. 7 depicts openings of a gliding member in accordance withembodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 8 depicts a gliding member in accordance with embodiments of thepresent invention; and

FIG. 9 is a flow chart depicting a method of cleaning surfaces inaccordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring initially to FIG. 2, an exemplary vacuum shoe 100 will bedescribed in accordance with at least some embodiments of the presentinvention. The vacuum shoe comprises a shoe housing 102 with a vacuumchamber 104 defined by the shoe housing 102. The shoe housing 102 at afirst end has an opening 106 where debris and other material, includingfluids, can be received. The other end of the vacuum shoe housing 102 isadapted to be connected with a hose 108 or another type of vacuum source(e.g., a vacuum motor connected to the cleaning machine). The opening106 of the shoe housing 102 is further adapted to be interconnected to aglide member 110 or set of glide members 110. The glide members 110 maybe an integral part of the housing 102 or may be selectively attachedand detached from the shoe housing 102. The glide members 110 generallyhave a space or an opening that defines an inlet of the glide member(s)110. This opening 112 is typically smaller than the opening 106 of thevacuum chamber 104. However, it can be appreciated by one of skill inthe art that the opening 112 of the glide member 110 may besubstantially the same size or smaller than the opening 106 of thevacuum chamber.

Referring simultaneously to FIGS. 2-4, alternative configurations of theglide member or glide members 110 will be described in accordance withat least some embodiments of the present invention. It is advantageousto have the glide member 110 shaped such that the outer surface 111 ofthe glide member 110 that interacts with the surface to be cleaned issmooth rather than abrupt as was used in the prior art. For example, theouter surface 111 of the glide member 110 may be defined to have aparticular radius of curvature as can be seen with reference to eitherFIG. 2 or FIG. 3. For normal size vacuum shoes 100 the radius ofcurvature of the outer surface 111 of the glide member 110 may bebetween approximately 0.5″ to 1.5″. Additionally, for larger vacuumshoes 100, a larger radius of curvature may be used, for example, aradius of 1.5″ or greater. Of course the radius of curvature of theouter surface 111 of the glide member 110 depends on the size of themachine, the weight of the machine, the size of the vacuum shoe 100, thetype of surface to be cleaned, and other variables.

Various designs depicted in FIGS. 2-4, show a glide member that providesa relatively small drag co-efficient as the vacuum shoe 100 is traversedacross a surface to be cleaned. For example, in FIG. 2, the glide memberis shaped such that it has two substantially linear regions and onenon-linear region with a particular radius of curvattre. Whereas theglide member 110 depicted in FIG. 3 has a substantially uniform radiusof curvature for the entire outer surface 111. Alternatively, withreference to FIG. 4, the outer surface of the glide member 110 mayinclude three linear regions with a smooth radius of curvature betweeneach linear region. Regardless of the shape of the outer surface of theglide member 110, it is preferred to have an outer surface that movesalong a surface to be cleaned with a relatively lower drag coefficientthan would be provided by the shoe housing 102 alone.

The point where the outer surface 111 intersects the surface to becleaned is known as the intersection point. At the intersection point anintersection angle 113 is defined. Specifically, the intersection angle113 is the angle between the outer surface 111 and the surface to becleaned. Typically, the smaller the intersection angle 113 is, the lowerthe drag coefficient is between the gliding member 110 and the surface.A suitable intersection angle 113 is between about 5° and about 80°,with the intersection angle being preferably about 30°. A lower dragcoefficient results in an increase in cleaning efficiency andpotentially less power required by an internal power source of thecleaning machine. The outer surface 111 generally extends away from thesurface to be cleaned with a smooth transition, rather than an abruptone as is known in the prior art. The smooth transition between theintersection point and the end of the outer surface 111 provides for asmooth traversal of the gliding member 110 across uneven surfaces.

Another way to decrease the amount of drag between the glide member 110and a surface to be cleaned is by the intelligent selection of materialused to construct the glide member 110. Examples of the types ofmaterials of which the glide member 110 may be constructed include, butare not limited to, Teflon™, polyvinylchloride, Delrin™ or othersuitable types of self lubricating materials or materials exhibiting alow frictional coefficient. Additionally, the outer surfaces of theglide members 110 may be treated with a chemical and/or covered with amaterial that provides for easier traversal of the gliding member 110across the surface to be cleaned. For carpeting, it is believed thatDelrin™ is a preferable material to use in constructing the glide member110, although other materials may be found equally suitable.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a floor cleaning apparatus 114 will bedescribed in accordance with at least some embodiments of the presentinvention. The floor cleaning apparatus comprises a chassis 115 that istypically driven by some sort of internal power drive or motor 124, forexample, an electric motor or gas-powered motor. A vacuum shoe 100 ispreferably connected to the chassis by at least a hose 108. The hose 108extends up to a vacuum source, like a vacuum motor 126, that helpscreate the negative suction used to lift fluid and debris from thesurface. The vacuum shoe 100 may also be interconnected to the chassisby other securing mechanisms like stabilizer bars and so on. The vacuumshoe 100 also comprises a glide member 110 that provides for ease ofmovement of the vacuum shoe 100 across the surface to be cleaned.

The chassis 115 also typically includes a number of wheels operablyinterconnected to the bottom surface of the chassis to enable steeringand provide stability. Typically, an operator of the machine may sit orstand on the chassis 115 and can direct the movement of the floorcleaning apparatus 114 with a steering wheel or other type of steeringmechanism, such as a joy stick. Such an embodiment of the presentinvention enables the floor surface to be cleaned or otherwise treatedmore efficiently, since the operator does not have to push or pull theoften heavy apparatus. In addition, the human component of powering orotherwise moving the apparatus may be omitted in order to achieve moreconsistent flooring treatment, thereby saving cleaning materials andreducing costs of the entire cleaning operation.

In operation, typically a set of scrubbers, sprayers, and/or other typeof agitator 128 is placed in front of the vacuum housing 100. The device128 is used to apply cleaning fluid to a surface and/or to agitate thesurface and release dirt that has been held therein. As the cleaningapparatus 114 moves in a forward direction generally depicted by thearrow 109, the vacuum shoe 100 travels over the now agitated surface tosuck up any loose fluid and debris that was released from the surface.Since the vacuum shoe 100 is equipped with a glide member 110, theapparatus 114 does not have to provide as much power as it would have ifthe vacuum was not equipped with a glide member 110. Since the glidemember I 1O decreases the drag coefficient of the apparatus 114 as ittraverses the surface, less force and as a result, less power isrequired of the vacuum motor 126 and the drive motor 124. This mayresult in use of smaller motor 124, if less downward force is applied tothe surface and less damage to the surface being cleaned over the courseof a number of cleanings. In the instance that the floor cleaningapparatus 114 is a gas powered apparatus, then less fuel would berequired to drive the apparatus 114 for the same amount of cleaningtime. Alternatively, a battery-powered apparatus may use the same sizeof batteries as previous cleaning apparatuses but the runtime of themachine could be increased. Again, this equates to less required fuel onboard the apparatus 114 for the duration of cleaning a particular room,which, in turn, results in a lower machine weight and, therefore, savesthe surface that is being cleaned from being rolled forward as istypically done by heavier machines or machines that are not equippedwith the glide member 110.

Additionally, the glide member 110 substantially increases the dryingefficiency of the vacuum shoe 100 through operation. Furthermore, byequipping the vacuum shoe 100 with the glide member 110, suction isincreased which results in more air entering the vacuum shoe 100. Forexample, most apparatus 114 equipped with conventional vacuum shoes 100,take in air at the rate of approximately 5,000 cubic feet per minute.When a glide member 110 is placed on a vacuum shoe that is connected tothe floor cleaning apparatus 114, suction may be increased by 60percent, which means that intake velocity of air is roughly 8,000 cubicfeet per minute. This results in a 25 percent increase in water pickupas compared to conventional floor cleaning apparatus.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a vacuum shoe 100 that has a selectivelyattachable and detachable gliding member 110 will be described inaccordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention.Typically, the vacuum housing 102 may comprise one, two or moreinterfaces 116 that are adapted to receive a gliding member 110. Thegliding member 110 has one, two, three, four, or more interfaces 118that are adapted to interconnect with the corresponding interfaces 116of the vacuum shoe housing 102. This enables the gliding member 110 tobe placed on and connected to the vacuum housing 102 without requiringdisassembly of either part. In a preferred embodiment, the interfaces118 of the glide member 110 are adapted to slide onto the interfaces 116of the vacuum housing 102. A hole or other type of interconnectiondevice 120 is set into place when the glide member 110 is in place onthe vacuum housing 102. The glide member 110 may be secured to thevacuum housing 102 by some sort of securing member 121 used inconjunction with the interconnection device 120, for example, a screwand threaded hole, nut and bolt through a hole, wing nut, thumbnut, orother type of connecting member. This enables the glide member 110 to beintegral to the vacuum housing 102 during operation of the floorcleaning apparatus 114, however, in the event that some sort of blockageoccurs at the gliding member 110, the gliding member 110 may beselectively removed from the housing 102 without any further disassemblyof the apparatus 114, gliding member 110, and/or the vacuum shoe housing102 and the blockage may be easily removed. This results in lessrequired maintenance time, especially if maintenance is required duringoperation of the equipment.

Referring now to FIG. 7, alternative configurations of glide member 110will be discussed in accordance with embodiments of the presentinvention. In one configuration, the glide member 110 has a series ofslots 122 that define the opening 112 of the glide member 110. The slots122 are sized to intake debris of a certain particle size and generallydo not allow debris of larger size into the vacuum housing 102. The sizeof the slots also helps to determine the amount of suction that can begenerated by the floor cleaning apparatus 114. Typically, the larger theslots 122, the more the air is allowed to enter and be sucked throughthe vacuum chamber 104. However, smaller openings 122 may be used tocause a larger amount of vacuum pressure to be created or selectivelyallow particles of various sizes to enter the vacuum chamber 104. As canbe appreciated by one of skill in the art, the opening 122 may be aseries of slots, a single slot spanning the length of the gliding member10, a series of holes, or combinations thereof. Furthermore, the glidemember 110 may be comprised of two separate pieces, a front piece and aback piece. A front piece may be the only required piece if the floorcleaning apparatus 114 only travels in a single direction. Likewise, theonly required piece may be the back piece of the glide member 110 if thesituation warrants.

Referring to FIG. 8 a cleaning machine 114 employing a gliding member110 in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present inventionwill be described. The cleaning machine 114 comprises a first spraynozzle 122 for applying a first fluid 124, a rotary brush 126 or othersuitable type of agitator, and a fluid supply line 128 for supplying asecond fluid 130. The gliding member 110 is configured to receive fluid130 from the fluid supply line 128 at a fluid passageway 132. The fluid130 may then continue through the passageway 132 to the exit orifice 134in the gliding member 110. The first fluid 124 is preferably a cleaningsolution or the like and the second fluid 130 may be water or some othertype of rinsing solution. Of course, the first 124 and second 130 fluidsmay be the same type of fluid depending upon the surface and/or thedesired cleaning method. The second fluid 130 may be fed through thefluid supply line 128 to the gliding member 110 by gravity or byapplication of pressure to the second fluid 130 by a pump or the like.

The interconnection between the fluid supply line 128 and the glidingmember 110 may be a fixed interconnection such that the fluid supplyline 128 is integral to the gliding member 110. Alternatively, the fluidsupply line 128 is selectively attached to the gliding member 110through an interface. One suitable type of interface includes a malecoupling on the gliding member 110 interconnecting with a femalecoupling on the supply line 128 or through simple insertion of the malecoupling into the fluid supply line 128. In an alternative embodiment,the fluid supply line 128 and gliding member 110 may be equipped withmale and female machine threaded interfaces, such that the fluid supplyline 128 can be screwed onto the gliding member 110. Other possibleinterfaces between the gliding member 110 and the fluid supply line 128will become apparent to those of skill in the art.

The solution exit orifice 134 in the gliding member 110 may simply be anopening that allows the second fluid 130 to be poured or otherwise begravity fed onto the surface to be cleaned. Alternatively, the exitorifice 134 may comprise a spray nozzle for spraying the second fluid130 onto the surface to be cleaned. The second fluid 130 that is appliedto the surface to be cleaned is typically provided in an amount thatdoes not deeply penetrate the carpet fibers. Thus, the amount of suctionrequired to pick up debris from the surface may be kept at a minimum.Another advantage of enabling a gliding member 110 with a fluidpassageway 132 and an orifice 134 is that the second solution 130 isapplied to the surface almost immediately before it is vacuumed up. Thishelps to minimize drying times, as the fluid does not have a long timeto settle into the carpet fibers. Additionally, the second fluid 130helps to lubricate the gliding member 110 further decreasing thecoefficient of friction as the gliding member 110 moves across thesurface to be cleaned.

In operation a first fluid 124 is applied to the surface by the firstspray nozzle 122. The first fluid is any type of suitable cleaningsolution that is capable of attracting and cleaning up debris from thesurface to be cleaned. Thereafter, the agitator 126 agitates the treatedsurface so as to help release debris particles from the fibers of thesurface. The released debris is then trapped or partially suspended bythe first fluid 124. The gliding member 110 is then passed over thesurface and the second fluid 130 is applied to the surface via the exitorifice 134. As noted above, just enough second fluid 130 is applied tothe surface such that the first fluid 124 can be released from thecarpet fibers and sucked up by the vacuum, along with the debrissuspended by the first fluid 130. In alternative embodiments, the secondfluid 130 may be supplied in larger amounts to ensure that all residueof the first fluid 124 is removed from the surface. After the fluid hasbeen applied to the surface via the exit orifice 134, the vacuum createdby the vacuum motor 126 lifts the debris from the surface along with thefirst 124 and second fluid 130 resulting in a cleaned surface.

With reference now to FIG. 9, a method of using a self-propelledcleaning machine equipped with a gliding member 110 will be described inaccordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention.Initially, in step 204, a first fluid is applied to the surface to becleaned. As noted above sprayers, foam generators, or the like may beused to apply the fluid to the surface. Suitable fluids that may beapplied to the surface to be cleaned include, water, cleaning agents orchemicals, detergents, foam, or other known cleaning fluids known tothose of skill in the art. The devices used to apply the fluid to thesurface may be interconnected to the chassis 114 of the self-propelledcleaning machine, or the fluids may be applied to the surface prior topassing the self-propelled cleaning machine across the surface to becleaned. Additional fluids may be applied to the surface if thesituation warrants.

After the desired fluid(s) is applied to the surface, the surface isagitated (step 206). The surface may be agitated by, for example,scrubbers, rotating brushes, or any other mechanism that can be used toagitate the surface. By agitating the surface, debris and the like maybe released from the surface and captured by the fluid, thus creating afluid mixed with debris in/on the surface to be cleaned.

Once the surface has been adequately agitated, the fluid that remains onthe surface still needs to be removed. In order to remove the fluidsuction is generated at the vacuum shoe 100 (step 208). The vacuum shoe100 is equipped with a gliding member 110 as shown in FIG. 5. The vacuumshoe 100 along with the gliding member 110 is passed across the surfaceto be cleaned (step 210). The suction generated at the vacuum shoe 100acts to lift a large portion of the fluid and/or debris from the surfaceto be cleaned. The vacuum shoe 100 equipped with the gliding surface 110is operable to remove at least about 25% more fluid from the surfacethan vacuum shoes of the prior art. This means that less fluid is lefton the surface to be cleaned and, in the case of carpet or other type offabric surface, the required drying time is decreased for the entiresurface.

As noted above, the chassis 114 may be adapted for an operator to sit onand operate the cleaning machine. The operator may have a steering wheelor joy stick that allows him/her to control and maneuver the cleaningmachine with relatively minimal effort compared to cleaning devices thatrequire the operator to actually push or pull the cleaning device acrossthe surface to be cleaned.

Advantages offered by embodiments of the present invention are notnecessarily restricted to the use of a glide member 110 in conjunctionwith cleaning a carpeted surface. As can be appreciated by one of skillin the art, the use of a glide member 110 with the floor cleaningapparatus 114 when cleaning any number of surfaces including, but notbeing limited to, carpet, hardwood, cement, tile, rubber floors, and thelike is also envisioned.

The present invention, in various embodiments, includes components,methods, processes, systems and/or apparatus substantially as depictedand described herein, including various embodiments, sub combinations,and subsets thereof Those of skill in the art will understand how tomake and use the present invention after understanding the presentdisclosure. The present invention, in various embodiments, includesproviding devices and processes in the absence of items not depictedand/or described herein or in various embodiments hereof, including inthe absence of such items as may have been used in previous devices orprocesses, e.g., for improving performance, achieving ease and/orreducing cost of implementation.

The foregoing discussion of the invention has been presented forpurposes of illustration and description. The foregoing is not intendedto limit the invention to the form or forms disclosed herein. In theforegoing Detailed Description for example, various features of theinvention are grouped together in one or more embodiments for thepurpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is notto be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed inventionrequires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather,as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than allfeatures of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the followingclaims are hereby incorporated into this Detailed Description, with eachclaim standing on its own as a separate preferred embodiment of theinvention.

Moreover though the description of the invention has includeddescription of one or more embodiments and certain variations andmodifications, other variations and modifications are within the scopeof the invention, e.g., as may be within the skill and knowledge ofthose in the art, after understanding the present disclosure. It isintended to obtain rights which include alternative embodiments to theextent permitted, including alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalentstructures, functions, ranges or steps to those claimed, whether or notsuch alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions,ranges or steps are disclosed herein, and without intending to publiclydedicate any patentable subject matter.

1. A floor cleaning apparatus, comprising: a self-propelled chassis; avacuum shoe interconnected to the chassis, the vacuum shoe comprising ahousing having a first end and a second end with a vacuum chambertherebetween, the first end being adapted to interface with a vacuumsource; and a gliding member interconnected to the second end of thehousing, the gliding member comprising an outer surface that has atleast one radius of curvature.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein theouter surface of the gliding member intersects a surface to be cleanedat an angle of intersection that is between about 5° and about 80°. 3.The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the outer surface comprises a smoothtransition that extends away from the surface to be cleaned.
 4. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the gliding member is operable to beselectively attached to and detached from the housing without requiringa disassembly of the gliding member and the housing.
 5. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the vacuum source is a vacuum motor and wherein thevacuum motor is interconnected to the chassis.
 6. The apparatus of claim1, wherein the gliding member comprises a series of at least one ofslots and holes that allow debris of less than a predetermined size topass through to the vacuum chamber.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe radius of curvature is greater than about 0.5 inches.
 8. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the gliding member comprises at least oneof Teflon, polyvinylchloride, and Delrin.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the chassis is adapted for seating of an operator.
 10. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the gliding member comprises a fluidpassageway having a proximal end for receiving a fluid and a distal endfor delivering the fluid to a surface to be cleaned.
 11. The apparatusof claim 10, wherein the proximal end is adapted to interface with afluid supply line that delivers the fluid from a fluid source to thegliding member.
 12. A floor cleaning apparatus, comprising: aself-propelled chassis; a vacuum shoe interconnected to the chassis, thevacuum shoe comprising a housing having a proximal end and a distal end,the proximal end being adapted to interface with a means for creating apressure gradient between the proximal end and the distal end; and ameans for gliding in communication with the distal end of the housing,the means for gliding comprising an outer surface that has at least oneradius of curvature.
 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the outersurface of the means for gliding intersects a surface to be cleaned atan angle of intersection that is between about 5° and about 80°.
 14. Theapparatus of claim 13, wherein the outer surface comprises a smoothtransition that extends away from the point where the means for glidingintersects the surface.
 15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the meansfor gliding is operable to be selectively attached to and detached fromthe housing without requiring a disassembly of the means for gliding andthe housing.
 16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the means forcreating is a vacuum motor and wherein the vacuum motor isinterconnected to the chassis.
 17. The apparatus of claim 12, whereinthe means for gliding comprises a series of at least one of slots andholes that allow debris of less than a predetermined size to passthrough to the vacuum chamber.
 18. The apparatus of claim 12, whereinthe radius of curvature is greater than about 0.5 inches.
 19. Theapparatus of claim 12, wherein the means for gliding comprises at leastone of Teflon, polyvinylchloride, and Delrin.
 20. The apparatus of claim12, wherein the chassis is adapted for seating of an operator.
 21. Theapparatus of claim 12, wherein the means for gliding comprises a meansfor delivering a fluid to a surface to be cleaned.
 22. A method,comprising: applying at least a first fluid to a surface to be cleaned;agitating the surface to be cleaned; generating a suction at a vacuumshoe interconnected to a self-propelled cleaning machine, wherein thevacuum shoe is equipped with a gliding member, and wherein the glidingmember comprises an outer surface that comprises at least a first radiusof curvature; and passing the gliding member across the surface to becleaned.
 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the outer surface of thegliding member intersects the surface to be cleaned at an angle ofintersection that is between about 5° and about 80°.
 24. The method ofclaim 23, wherein the outer surface comprises a smooth transition thatextends away from the point where the gliding member intersects thesurface.
 25. The method of claim 22, further comprising: removing thegliding member from the vacuum shoe without disassembling the glidingmember and the vacuum shoe; and after removing the gliding member,reattaching the gliding member to the vacuum shoe.
 26. The method ofclaim 22, wherein the suction is generated by a vacuum motor and whereinthe vacuum motor is interconnected to the cleaning machine.
 27. Themethod of claim 22, wherein the gliding member comprises a series of atleast one of slots and holes that allow debris of less than apredetermined size to pass through to the vacuum chamber.
 28. The methodof claim 22, wherein the radius of curvature is greater than about 0.5inches.
 29. The method of claim 22, wherein the gliding member comprisesat least one of Teflon, polyvinylchloride, and Delrin.
 30. The method ofclaim 22, further comprising: an operator of the cleaning machine,sitting on the cleaning machine and controlling the direction of travelof the cleaning machine.
 31. The method of claim 22, further comprisingsupplying a fluid to the surface to be cleaned via the gliding member.